Being the amazing, true-to-life adventures and (very likely) misadventures of a writer who seeks to take his education, activism and seemingly boundless energy to North Minneapolis, (NoMi) to help with a process of turning a rapidly revitalizing neighborhood into something approaching Urban Utopia. I am here to be near my child. From 02/08 to 06/15 this blog pushed free speech to the envelope, so others could take heart and speak unafraid. Email me at hoffjohnw@gmail.com

The decrepit former whorehouse at 2700 Morgan Ave. N., known as the "Salmon House," was demolished on Friday, January 14, beginning at about 9 a.m.

One neighbor in a nearby house actually took the day off from work just to watch in quiet jubilation. Another neighbor came out in a bathrobe and......can be heard cheering near the beginning of this video. The crew which demolished the "Salmon House" was apparently the same outfit responsible for taking down the "Devil's House" at 3020 6th St. N. and, in fact, they had vivid recollections of neighbors "drinking champagne and dancing in the streets." (Click here for some video)

Due to their involvement in tearing down two notorious whorehouses, Megan has dubbed this crew "the slum slayers."

Prior to the demolition, I personally managed to obtain all the fridge magnets from the door of a skanky-looking, rather small and forlorn fridge in what was left of the kitchen.

And so the unstoppable and massive wave of NoMi revitalization continues, but not everything is lost: some small things are saved, stories are written down, images and video are recorded. Some of the run down houses are NOT destroyed, but fall into the hands of new owners who will transform them. Slumlords are on the run, knowing they will be relentlessly hounded in North Minneapolis for irresponsible behavior. This house at 2700 Morgan Ave. N. belonged to an entity named "Dana D III," who were involved in mortgage fraud, click here.

Consider: For how many years did neighbors cry out "Salmon House" this and "Salmon House" that and fight for change? And then one snowy morning the change arrived and massive transformation took place in only a couple hours.

What does this tell us? That all the other changes we want can happen, too, if we don't lose hope, or lose heart, or cease in our energetic efforts to live in an urban environment that is not just BETTER, not just SAFE, not just DECENT, but something approaching an urban utopia.

I have just discoverd your blog and you seem a lot more positive than that guy called Irving Inquisition. I read his blog and i am afraid to visit much less go to any of your north minneapolis eating establishments. Your site seems a little more balanced and reasonable. I think the guy has a problem with African-Americans also, where as you seem much more liberal.

Oh yeah, the fuckin little hose will keep the dust down - what a joke! Must be a City requirement!Having been a contractor for 20 years, it just amazes me how dumb some of these regulations are in the inner City. Like having to hire an asbestos removal firm for 2grand to remove 4 to 6 feet of old asbestos wrapped ducting and haul it to Iowa. This is why no good general contractors will work in Mpls!

I apologize if i complimented you on your blog and did not realize that you knew the fellow. It seems to me that your intentions in making your way through life are a little more solid than that negative gentlemans are. My guess is if you have a girlfriend that he will try to move in on your action. He seems to have visions of grandeur and envies your life. Beware.

There you are sitting with two pigs who have beer tap hoses sticking out of their mouths and their teeth clamping the valve open for constant flow. Your best friend and your obese boyish looking woman. You white people make me sick.

Oh no I missed this?! I always had an inkling this was a whorehouse. Driving by every morning at 6 I would see the girls sitting outside looking so sad. And then wonder, is the whore business booming at this time of day? Then I'd just drive off, thankful my parents were so strict that I didn't end up like these girls.